Starving Society :: essays research papers

Starving Society   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been said that hunger is sharper than the sword. This saying becomes much clearer after reading the book The Siege, by Helen Dunmore. The book paints an overpowering picture of the suffering that accompanies starvation. I know I was much more thankful for the food I have after reading the book. The story takes place in 1941 in Leningrad. It is a time when the people of Leningrad are overwhelmed by the fear of Stalin’s secret police and also the rumors that the Germans are coming to take over the city. Eventually, the Germans surround the city cutting off the food supply and escape routes. Over six thousand people were killed in Leningrad that winter, mainly from starvation. The book depicts the day to day hardships that one family endures dealing with hunger and the harsh winter. The book explores how the war and lack of food affect both the human body as well as the effect on society as a whole. John of Salisbury’s â€Å"The Body Social† uses the body to explain different parts of society and how they need to all work harmoniously to be healthy. John of Salisbury’s â€Å"The Body Social† can be used a guide to illustrate the wasting away of the people of Leningrad and their society as a whole.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The common person and average worker of a society are important to the survival of the society because they are the farmers and factory workers that are responsible for producing all of the goods and services that are needed. John of Salisbury refers to these people as the feet of the body because they are the base that holds the society up. In The Siege most of the main characters are these common people. Characters like Anna who is a nursery assistant that is responsible for taking care of her family. Also Andrei, a doctor in training, who helps take care of the sick. They are the people who keep day to day life going. Once the Germans surrounded Leningrad they cut off the food supply and electricity. The Germans bombed warehouses full of food and â€Å"Thousands of tons of sugar, flour, fats and meat vanish overnight† (132). The food rations given to these people were as little as a couple of pieces of bread a day (191). The common people of Leningrad be gan to starve and freeze and most were no longer able to do their jobs.